25 February, 2021

How do we view plants in the real world?


Are plants as advanced (> or =) as humans?


Plants pull all of this off while…


Plants as sessile organisms





  • Mostly defined by their total inability to move


  • Is this a good thing or a bad thing?


  • Their Darwinian struggle for growth, survival and reproduction in very different arenas has resulted in an extremely wide variety of form and function (Diaz et al 2016)

Themes in plant form


  • Plants extract materials from environment
    • ~18 essential elements
    • soil (most)
    • atmosphere
    • materials can be limiting


  • Above- and belowground body plan
    • connected via vascular tissues

Themes in plant form


  • Plants gather materials to grow
    • soil
    • atmosphere
    • materials can be limiting


  • Above- and belowground body plan


  • Plants exhibit indeterminate growth
    • “foragers”
    • diversity of size & shape


  • BRAINSTORM: What factors drive change in plant form?

Diversity in plant form via resource uptake and support

Diversity in plant form via evolutionary history

Diversity in plant form via environment (abiotic and biotic)

How do plants create such dynamic structures?

Plants have 3 tissue systems connecting all plant organs

Parenchyma cells: living, dividing with metabolic function















Parenchyma cells in leaves = Mesophyll cells Contain chloroplast and carry out photosynthesis

Collenchyma (flexible) & Sclerenchyma (rigid) for support

Dynamic root growth integral for plant function

Root morphology is super diverse

Roots are a member of the the biotic soil community

Roots supply key nutrients & water to plant


Vascular tissues: Xylem composed of water conducted cells


Vascular tissues: Phloem composed of sugar conducting cells


Primary plant growth through meristems


Cambium produce secondary growth


Annual growth rings





  • Plants record what happens on the planet


  • Complete cycle of seasons
    • record atmospheric conditions


  • Agreement on solar storms on a global scale!
    • Wang et al. 2017. Nature Communications

Plant form: building the perfect plant…

Sessile plants alter form to make a living